Happy Sunday!
I’ve got some amazing books and recipes to share with you for Harlequin’sApril Weddings Blog Tour featuring a few of Harlequin’s most anticipated series titles of the month.
From a spontaneous Vegas wedding fueled by a night of passion (and tequila) to a marriage of convenience with a twist, these scintillating tales will have you begging for more.
Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!
Bon Appétit and a Book: The Billionaire’s Bridal Bargain by Lynne Graham
Cesare’s Salsiccia al vino rosso
Ingredients (serves 3)
½ kilo homemade or good quality pork mince
30g seedless grapes
10g pine nuts
½ finely chopped white onion
2 glasses good red wine
2 tsps honey
1 sliced red peper
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
This is the perfect meal for an Italian Tycoon!
Pour some oil into a large thick based saucepan (le cruset are my favourites!), brown the onion until cooked through. Pour in the wine and let it bubble up until the alcohol evaporates, then add the sliced red pepper. Rinse the grapes and cut them in half. Add the grapes, salt, pine nuts and honey into the pan and cook for 10 minutes. In a separate pan, heat some more oil and add the pork mince. Make sure the heat is high to get rid of any excess fat. When the meat is cooked through (and do be careful with pork mince, it must be properly cooked through!) transfer to the sauce pan with the grape sauce and cook for another ten minutes. Lovely to serve with pasta or chunks of toasted ciabatta!
Bon Appétit and a Book: From Fake to Forever by Kat Cantrell
Hummus and Pita Chips
This is my recipe for hummus, which I love to make fresh because store-bought generally has a high sodium content, as well as preservatives and other yucky stuff. This is easy to make and doesn’t call for tahini which can be expensive.
Ingredients (4 servings)
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 drops sesame oil, or to taste (optional)
PREP
5 mins
READY IN
5 mins
Directions
Blend garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and sesame oil in a food processor; stream reserved bean liquid into the mixture as it blends until desired consistency is achieved. Spoon into a serving bowl. You can let the flavors blend several hours or overnight before serving this.
To make fresh pita chips:
Cut two-three pitas into wedges (like a pizza)
Arrange on a pan and brush with olive oil
Grind or sprinkle salt and pepper to taste
Cook for 15 minutes at 375.
Bon Appétit and a Book: The Italian’s Deal for I Do by Jennifer Hayward
A Caprese Salad is one of my favourite appetizers to serve guests at a dinner party. It’s particularly amazing when it’s made with tomatoes grown under the Tuscan sun, but even if you can’t rustle up Italian tomatoes in your kitchen, it’s still perfect for any season. And the ideal dish to enjoy alongside Italian’s Deal For I Do which takes place in Milano. One of my favourite scenes from the book is the opening where my hero, fashion magnate Rocco tracks down former supermodel Olivia at one of the very popular cafes along the canals in Navigli, determined to find some truths. I wish I was enjoying a fabulous meal there right now, but rustling up my own Caprese salad with a great bottle of Chianti will do nicely! Here’s the recipe:
Caprese Salad
Ingredients:
Vine ripe tomatoes – ¼-inch slices
Fresh mozzarella – ¼-inch slices
Fresh basil
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each, on a serving platter. Drizzle the salad with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. And enjoy!
This is such an easy snack. I love to make it with my two boys and there are things even the little one can do. He likes to use the basting brush to “paint” the chips with oil. My older son likes to use the food processor–probably because I don’t make him clean it!